http://www.housetrade.co.uk/RSS Feed of all housetrade.co.uk news PostsRSSviaXmlTextWriter v1.0en-gbhttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Interior-Design-trends-for-2013 Show date: Wednesday 20th March 2013   Show time:  3pm As a nation we are heavily focussed on home ownership much more so than some countries in continental Europe where almost 60% of residents choose to rent as opposed to buying property. As such we are also obsessed with home renovations, redecoration and development. Renovating a property can be stressful, finding inspiration for the style and how to go about a renovation in the first place can be tricky. There are so many styleMon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/How-to-spot-a-property-Bargain-in-2013                         Play the podcast above to hear Sofie Allsopp deliver some pearls of wisdom and answer questions.Whether you’re thinking of buying or renting this year, property expert Sofie Allsopp tells you what to look out for, where to look and what you should be checking to get the best bang for your buck While the property market has been stagnant in the UK forThu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Ultimate-Road-Rage-Fail-There-is-Another-WayWho needs a car when you can get to work like this. There is Another Way... http://www.housetrade.co.uk  http://www.privatehousetrade.co.uk  Please give this video a Thumbs up if you enjoyed it! Our Links are below !! Main Channel: http://www.youtube.com/HousetradeUK Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Housetrade.co.uk  https://www.facebook.com/Privatehousetradecouk  Keep up with us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Housetrade_uk   https://twitter.com/privateWed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/WebTV-Show-Advice-for-accidental-landlordsLog onto our live and interactive WebTV show if you are have fallen in to becoming a landlord, thinking of becoming, or you’re already a landlord for expert advice on how to protect yourself against the pitfalls Show date: Tuesday 6th November 2012 Show time: 12pm As the property market continues to stagnate and more and more people struggle to sell their homes, an increasing number of property owners are opting to let their property out instead of putting it on the market. Inheriting a hMon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Generation-rent-the-great-debate Show date: Tuesday 20th November   Show time: 15:30   As more and more young people are priced out of the property market, the private rental sector is booming. But as renting increasingly becomes the norm for more people, how do landlords adapt to the changing needs of tenants?   As campaigners for tenant rights call for '5 year tenancies', tenants are not just looking for houses to rent anymore, they are looking for homes to rent. But have landlords adapted to this shiftMon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Does-Broadband-Speed-Affect-Buying-a-Property This podcast addresses the issue of homebuyers now taking broadband speed into account when buying property. Duiring the interview we speak with Henry Pryor – Independent property expert and/or Dominic Baliszewski – telecoms expert.   Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Why-we-are-still-not-switched-on-to-energy-saving   Despite ever-increasing fuel costs, the British public just can’t seem to get motivated on energy saving, regardless of our good intentions. According to a new study, while 94% of us say we want to become more energy efficient, only 37% of us currently rate ourselves as such – and it’s the basics that are still eluding us.   With energy costs at an all-time high and four of the ‘big six’ energy firms putting up their prices again this week, it is surprising to learn that 40% ofThu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Public-Toliet-Transformed-into-Luxury-FlatA derelict underground public lavatory has been ingeniously converted to become an architect’s own stylish and functional London home. The architect in question Laura Clark was subjected to ridicule initially amongst friends and family with some politely enquiring into the state of her mental health when she had mentioned she was planning to covert and live in the former public lavatory. ‘I was known as Laura Toilets for a while,’ she says laughing. Clark herself questioned her own sanity at momThu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Is-this-the-cheapest-house-in-BritainThis estate in Middlesborough could easily be the cheapest to buy property on in Britain with homes on sale for less than £1,000. Whilst the houses may need a little work it seems unthinkable that any house could be owned for that little. The house in question is actually going under the hammer, Number 12, Limetrees Close in Port Clarence and it could well become Britain’s cheapest house when it is sold at auction the end of the month as the starting price is just £750. The three-bedroWed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/10-Craziest-UK-HomesWith the economic outlook looking bleak and continued uncertainties in the property market we thought we would scour the UK in search of some of the weird and wonderful properties of recent times to grace the property market. Falling In To The Sea Despite the back gardens falling in to the sea some of these houses are still lived in! With an estimated 3 metres a year being eroded by the ocean the local authority has decided it will be too costly to build sea defences. Instead Mother Nature wWed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Illegal-Gas-Works-ExposedIllegal gas jobs putting families at risk New figures show that more than nine in 10 illegal gas works investigated in last year fall short of minimum safety standards. Gas Safe Register has released figures which show that 93% of gas works investigated in the last 12 months fell short of minimum safety standards, with almost one in five posing an immediate risk.  The figures were released to mark Gas Safety Week, which aims to highlight the importance of proper gas safety in the home.Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/How-to-make-sure-your-home-is-gas-safeFaulty gas appliances can be a huge safety hazard in your home so watch our video to make sure your family isn’t at risk Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning affects thousands of Brits every year and in severe cases can kill. It can be caused by unsafe boilers, gas cookers or gas fires which have been badly fitted or poorly serviced. As well as causing CO poisoning, these faulty appliances can also cause gas leaks, fires and explosions, putting your household in danger. If you don’t know what to loThu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Shelter-Caimpaigns-Against-Tenancy-Fees Following a successful campaign to outlaw tenancy fees in Scotland, Shelter has turned its sights on all lettings agents across England and Wales.However from the agents side stories over the last few days in Scotland suggest a much bleaker picture. Some agents claim to being physically intimidated by tenants demanding their money back, resulting in staff resigning and agency closures. This comes as the latest blow to letting agents following the need to place tenants’ deposits, both new and Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/How-to-let-propertyFri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Tenancy-Deposit-Scheme-Launches-in-Scotland Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Spotlight-on-troublesome-tenants Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Don’t-get-stung-by-inventoriesFri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Report-Recommends-Drop-In-Affordable-HousingTory housing minister Grant Shapps recently backed a housing report by Sir Adrian Montague of the Housing Finance Group (Review of the barriers to institutional investment in private rented homes highlights the "real potential" for investment in large-scale development of homes built specifically for private rent by professional organisations) which recommends councils drop the requirements for affordable housing on all new buil developments made available for rent. The Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/NewBuy-Reservation-on-the-IncreaseThe NewBuy scheme which was recently developed, whereby individual borrowers are facilitated with the purchase a new-build house by enabling purchases with a deposit of only 5% of the value of the property. The scheme has seen reservations gradually increasing showing early signs that it will be a successful initiative. This enables mortgage lenders to offer finance for up to 95% of a new build property’s value. The mortgages are partially underwritten by guarantees from the developer of the homMon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Student-Lets-and-Nightmare-TenantsThe topic for this show is student renters, nightmare tenants and the anxiety some landlords may have about letting their property to students, issues they have had with tenants and how to avoid the pitfalls. Not only because of the stereotypical partying and messy homes that are associated with students but also because leases are shorter and properties can often be left empty over the holiday period. Log on to our live and interactive WebTV show where we go through the issues facing landlordThu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Leeds-Launches-Shared-Ownership-MortgageAn announcement yesterday that Leeds Building Society is launching a 3 year shared ownership mortgage at 5.99 per cent to help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder comes as another boost to the market. There is no higher lending charge or completion fee associated with the product and it also includes a free standard valuation up to £335, free in-house legal services for standard remortgages. Applicants can have up to an overall LTV of 75% with a maximum share of 95 per cent. To accessTue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/How-to-let-a-propertyWhether you consider yourself a landlord or not, if you collect money in exchange for someone staying in a property you own, you are a landlord. Please see the below video with a check list of everything you need to have in place before you let your property. As a landlord you want to know the best way to let a property. Being a landlord doesn’t need to be a minefield. Tenant issues, tenant disputes or tenant problems whatever you label them you need to keep these to a minimum. Whether Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Cheaper-now-to-buy-a-home-than-to-rentThis may come as a surprise to many aspiring first-time buyers that recent findings from the English Housing Survey highlight that home-ownership is continually popular even with the turbulent mortgage markets and house price fluctuations. This could be a result of improved accessibility to becoming a homeowner such as the continuation and improvement of share ownership property and the support from mortgage lenders within the affordable housing sector. However this recent study also displayed Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-instructions-separate-conveyancing-representationThe changes for new instructions with regards to separate representation cam into effect at the start of July. This essentially surrounded instances of separate conveyancers representing the buyer to that of the seller, and has come into effect in England and Wales. These separate instructions were published for cases where joint representation may not be possible. And are supported by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and the Law Society of England and Wales. The changes came about as leMon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Mortgage-lending-up-by-24percent According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders the gross mortgage lending during May was an estimated £12.2 bn. This represents a 24% rise from £9.9 billion in April and a 13% rise from May 2011 (£10.8 billion). The Council of Mortgage Lenders' is made up of member organisations including banks, building societies and other s specialist lenders. The CML undertake roughly 95% of all residential mortgage lending in the UK. There are 11.3 million mortgages in the UK, with total loaMon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-Affordable-Shared-Ownership-Homes-WythenshaweA new development of affordable homes has begun at Hollyview on Hollyhedge Road and Rotherby Road in Wythenshawe.   This new £2.14 million scheme from Willow Park Housing Trust includes 15 two bedroomed houses for sale through an affordable shared ownership scheme. This follows the success of the recent £3.8 million Park View development at Painswick Park in Woodhouse Park, where 18 two bed houses were sold within three months. This scheme was recently declared a ‘Best New AffordTue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Tenancy-Deposit-Protection-launches-in-ScotlandScottish Government introduces new legislation to protect tenants’ deposits Watch Eddie Hooker, CEO of my|deposits Scotland explain what the TDP legislation is, who it will affect, and what tenants, landlords and letting agents are required to do and by when. New legislation to protect tenants in Scotland comes into effect on 2 nd July, with government-licensed Tenancy Deposit Protection schemes launched to bring Scotland into line with England and Wales. Scotland has one of the highest percMon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Lenders-get-tough-on-repossessions Phoenix Repossession Services by phoenixtowing, on Flickr Signs are starting to show that lenders patience with homeowners in arrears is wearing thin. With the ongoing economic troubles there are an increasing number of borrowers who are struggling to stave off repossession as lenders begin to tighten their belts. These findings were published following a report by Revival Repossession Solutions. The not-for-profit company announcing that its research demonstrated an increasing number Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Don’t-get-stung-by-your-inventoryThis show features Eddie Hooker from Total Landlord Insurance and Nick Lyons from No Letting Go. Please see the live stream here: http://www.housetrade.co.uk/Don’t-get-stung-by-your-inventory The webTV show is about contracts, inventories and deposits Don’t get stung by your inventory Advice on inventories, deposits and contracts you can’t afford to miss Show date: Thursday 21st June 2012 Show time: 11.30am As more and more people struggle to sell their homes and decide to rent their properties Wed, 20 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/First-time-buyer-lending-falls-70-percent Mortgage by Rev Dan Catt, on Flickr Council of Mortgage Lender data clearly shows a slump in lending after the Stamp Duty holiday. Figures show that mortgage lending to first time buyers in the £125,000 to £250,000 price bracket dropped 70% in one month between March and April 2012. There were more modest decreases of 11% falls in lending for properties valued at £125,000 or below and those priced over £250,000 lending dropped by 5%. In total during April there were 12Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/£140bn-kiss-of-life-for-BritainChancellor George Osborne and Bank of England propose radical scheme to provide house-buyers and small businesses cheap loans. The main points of public interest in the proposed scheme are; • Scheme aimed at limiting impact of 'Eurozone debt storm' which is blamed for raising the cost of lending • Banks will be loaned money on condition they pass it on in the form of cheaper loans and mortgages • Huge sum represents 1/5 of all Government spending, more than defence and educatioSat, 16 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Let-Students-Pay-Your-‘Buy-To-Let’With the continuation of 0.5% base rate many investors, new and existing, will be benefiting from taking out a new deal at a low rate or reverting to their typical Standard Variable Rates. Unfortunately these are still tough times for the ‘Buy to Let’ sector and taking out new mortgage deals can prove much more costly when compared to residential deals currently on the market. Investments plans made relying on capital growth are sure to fall foul in this current economic climate. Those investorsWed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/First-Time-Buyers-GuideMany people aspire to own a property and it can be greatly satisfying and rewarding when you move into your dream home. However there are various processes, legalities and costs along the way that you need to be aware of to ensure you are prepared for what is to come. Not to mention that currently deposits of 15% or more are required by many lenders with many experts intimating that there has never been a more difficult time to get on to the property ladder. Mortgages - try our Free Mortgage CaFri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Indifferent-Buy-to-Let-MarketThe number of (BTL) buy-to-let properties that were repossessed in 2011 increased year on year to 5,900 from to 4,700 in 2010. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) also reported that the BTL market grew modestly in 2011, highlighting that there were an extra 84,000 mortgages completed. During Q4 of 2011 there were 34,800 loans totaling £4bn, to put this into perspective the 2007 quarterly high was £12.7bn. BTL mortgages currently make up 13% of the total outstanding value of mortgageMon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-Landlord-Numbers-IncreasingThis rise is mainly due to “accidental” landlords flooding into the lettings industry which has caused concern across the industry. There are an increasing number of private residential properties whose owners decide to let out rather than sell due to struggling market sales. This applies more so to city centre apartments although more houses are falling into this category with the owners not willing to sell for less than a certain price. Figures released by (ARLA) the Association of ResidentialMon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Bank-of-America-Improve-Short-Sale-ProcessBank of America has recently announced planned changes to procedures within the task flow of their short sale process for people looking to sell a house. This has been as a result of the short sale technology module within the package from the short sale management platform – Equator. This has been announced as an ongoing commitment to reduce the timescale for a decision on a short sale to be within 3 weeks. Bank of America now require 5 documents to be submitted for short sales initiated withMon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Increasing-mortgage-ratesIt is expected with increasing mortgage rates up to 1 million homeowners will be an average of £630 worse off a year. As a direct result of this the number of repossessed houses predicted for 2012 is set to increase.  According to a number of leading lenders including Halifax and Yorkshire bank, the rises of £630 a year on average will hit homeowners on (SVR) Standard Variable Rates.   This is following the increases from 3.82% to 4.15% seen on 2 year fixed-Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Coverage-Greater-Manchester-Business-WeekHousetrade recent coverage in Greater Manchester Business Week The MEN (Manchester Evening News) title - Greater Manchester Business Week has recently covered a full page article on Housetrade. The article provides details of Housetrades progression and development in the Manchester region. It also shows that the services being provided are gaining recognition amongst the region as a true alternative to utilising estate agents to sell property.  Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/First-time-buyer-activity-up-year-on-yearAccording to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) House purchase and first-time buyer loans both rose by almost a quarter year-on-year in January, suggesting lending levels are beginning to rise. These figures come as a suprise to many with first-time buyers appearing to be bucking the trend, whereas the wider market continues to suffer with the trade body warning that there is a strong likelyhood of an uncertain future for lending. The figures released bt the CML Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/First-Time-Buyer-Mortgage-Approvals-IncreaseThe Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has said the number of mortgages agreed for first-time house buyers increased towards the end of last year with 18,700 home loans for first-time buyers in December, which was a 7% rise from November and 14% up on December 2010. Both the CML and The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) believe the rush is to beat the deadline before the end of their 1% stamp duty holiday in March on properties under £250 000 with new figures from HMRC suggestThu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/placenorthwestHousetrade have been mentioned on the placenorthwest website:http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/11070-housetrade-aims-to-reduce-cost-of-sale.html Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/ThebusinessdeskThebusinessdesk.com has written an article about Housetrade, with coverage of up to 50,000 this is excellent publicity and spreading the word that 'For Sale By Owner' is the future of real estate:http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/286756-start-up-aims-to-cut-house-sale-costs.html?news_section=4151Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Lenders-shine-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel2012 has brought with it more positive noises coming from lenders that are showing willingness to relax lending and for those who can access credit there are some of the lowest rates since records began currently on offer. With house prices at their most affordable level in years there is the motive to buy and now with cheaper more readily available credit at lower rates there is the ability for many to be in a position to Buy a House. There is currently an opportunity for developers to takSat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-Year-sees-resurgence-in-housing-activity-levelsFurther to the slowdown over the festive period Housetrade are seeing interest picking up from both sellers wanting to market houses and activity amongst buyers. There are still many challenges facing the property industry meaning that predictions of what will happen in the market are somewhat divided amongst experts. The general conclusion to the differing opinions is that we are to expect to see further falls in house prices however have weathered the storm in terms of mortgage lending restricSat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/HousetradeMo-Movember-ParticipationCheck out the housetrade page dedicated to Movember.If you would like to make a donation in support of Movember net funds go into programs supporting prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives run by Movember and through our men’s health partners The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. To make a donation please visit HousetradeMo."Prostate cancer is something that every man should be aware of and take all the steps towards ensuring any symptoms are checThu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Taxpayers-to-fund-training-for-estate-agency-staffHousetrade is anticipating a heated debate to ensue following this recent announcement of the governments use of taxpayers money;The estate agents apprenticeship academy Bloom is launching government-funded NFoPP NVQs for people already working in estate agents’ and letting agents’ offices.The move is on top of the apprenticeships scheme, also government-backed.The candidates already working in property can be of any age and would be expected to complete the four units by way of self-study.Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Thinking-selling-privately-may-be-difficultThinking that selling your house privately may be difficult? In fact it is really easy. All options are fully explained on private sales websites and on some there is also a handy wizard process to guide you through creating your advert. You even have the option of uploading your property details yourself or providing property pictures and descriptions for the private sales website to upload on your behalf, either way will achieve the same result. Additionally, many private sales sites have Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Biggest-Increase-in-property-sales-in-the-northA report from leading lender the Halifax suggests that because these otherwise unremarkable towns have started from a lower base they are actually doing better than much better off locations in the south of the country. Sales of homes in the Greater Manchester town of Bury have risen by 44% over the first six months of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010, more than in any other town in England and Wales. The substantial increase in property sales in Bury since 2010 has been driven by a mFri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/HSBC-commits-to-first-time-buyers HSBC has announced it is to release a further £350 million to mortgage borrowers in the UK with deposit of 15% or less and at least £250 million will be reserved for first time buyers until the end of December.It also announced today (Friday 14 October) that its new high LTV mortgages come with zero fees.The bank said that it has provided a mortgage to one in eight first time buyers during 2011 and has been supporting them by offering more competitive rates for customers withFri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-Right-to-Buy-Scheme-BoostMr Cameron, announcing a new 'right to buy' scheme at the weekend, said that greater discounts will be offered to those looking to by council houses from the government.The reason behind this is that the money raised will then be used to buy land and produce more new homes.Chancellor George Osborne reiterated in his speech to the conference that the scheme will help boost the property market."The new right to buy and housing plans David Cameron announced yesterday will build 200,000 new houses aWed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/100pc-Mortgages-Are-BackA mortgage offering struggling families and first time homebuyers the opportunity to borrow the full cost of their property has been launched by Aldermore. The fledgling bank, a new entrant for home owners and small businesses, is offering the so-called 100 per cent mortgage at an interest rate of 6.48 per cent, fixed for three years. But the Family Guarantee Mortgage, available to first-time homebuyers and movers aged over 25, requires a relative to guarantee any borrowing above 75 per cent by Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/House-prices-plunge-65-pounds-per-dayMirror: The headline that we have been looking for.HOUSE prices plunged by £65 a day in August, a grim report revealed yesterday. The 1.2% fall was the biggest since April according to the Halifax, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender. It took the average price to £161,743, wiping out all the gains of the previous two months. That is also more than £6,600, or 2.6%, below the average 12 months ago, it found. The bank’s chief economist Martin Ellis said he believed the slump was exaggeThu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Call-for-action-on-housing-crisisThe housing market will be plunged into "crisis"' without government action to address the "chronic under-supply of homes", a body representing housing associations in England has warned. The National Housing Federation (NHF) said it risked locking an entire generation out of the housing market. It predicted further falls in home ownership rates and even higher rents. The government says it has made more land available for building and is investing £4.5bn in lower-cost homes. Housing MinistFri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Home-ownership-to-slumpHome ownership will drop to its lowest level since the 1980s as house prices and rents soar, according to figures published yesterday (August 30)by the National Housing Federation. A new study commissioned by the NHF, predicts home ownership will fall to just 63.8% over the next decade as a generation is priced out of the housing market. It reveals that a combination of high house prices, strict lending criteria and the need for a large deposit has made home ownership unobtainable for many peoplFri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/What-can-sellers-doThe UK housing market has witnessed months of relatively low activity, with the economic climate leading to a wait-and-see approach from many potential buyers and sellers. The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs showed that 10,000 fewer homes were sold in the UK in July 2011 than a year earlier. So what can sellers do to make their homes more attractive for the buyers who are out there? With ongoing competition for buyers, it is important that sellers consider how best to market their Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/First-time-buyers’-mortgages-‘may-not-be-95%’ Posted on August 25, 2011 by housetrade Posted by Sam Franklin A new mortgage deal advertised by Lloyds TSB as having a 95 per cent loan-to-value may be not quite so clear-cut, it has been suggested. First time buyers have a lot to research, not least, the best deals among mortgages for first time buyers. While labelled a five per cent deposit deal – with a 4.39 per cent APR fixed for three years – Ask.co.uk noted this depends on the parents of the buyers finding a sum equal to 2Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Cash-bonus-may-help-answer-question-of-how-to-get-a-mortgagePosted on August 25, 2011 by housetrade Posted by Sam Franklin First time buyers seeking a mortgage may be boosted by a new scheme run by Halifax that offers a £600 cash bonus. Any first time home buyer will need to fully research first time buyers mortgages. The lender is offering the deal to people who have savings accounts with the bank and then take out its Head Start Home Saver mortgage. It suggested such funds could be used to help make repayments or buy furniture for the neThu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Estate-Agency-Firm-Sold-After-CollapseWell-known London agent Friend & Falcke, which went quietly into administration last month, has been sold. The administrators say they are working with other estate agents that have hit trouble. The buyers are Thamesview Estate Agents, who own Dexters. The price paid for Friend & Falcke, twice voted London’s best agency in the Daily Mail awards, has not been disclosed. Mick Sanders and Georgina Eason of MacIntyre Hudson, chartered accountants and business advisers, were appointed adminiSun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Government-Stays-Quiet-on-House-Price-DiscrepanciesHouse prices edged up by 0.6% between May and June, official government figures claim. The CLG house price survey for June said the average selling price of a UK home was £204,981. The survey did not explain why its ‘official’ price is so much higher than the Government’s other ‘official’ price, provided by the Land Registry. For June, the Land Registry put the average house price in England and Wales at £161,479. The CLG index, which bases its findings on a mixture of information inSun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/More-Sellers-Turn-to-Price-CutsTwo in five properties on the market have had their price lowered at least once, with the average reduction being 7.1% off the original price – equivalent to a cut of £18,500. The news comes amidst more pain for people's finances, as inflation rises above 4%, while the Government announced this morning sharp rises in unemployment and the number of people on Job Seeker's Allowance. According to Zoopla, 38.6% of all properties currently for sale in Britain have had their asking prices cut, uSun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/House-Sales-at-Two-Year-LowSurveyors’ trade body says its members sold an average of 14.2 properties each in the past three months, with the majority also reporting falling house prices The number of properties on estate agents’ books rose over June. Photograph: Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images Britain’s housing market stuttered further during July as estate agents reported sales at a two-year low. Rics, the surveyors’ trade body, said its estate agent members had managed to sell just 14.2 properties on average over thFri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/First-BuyFirst Buy a £250million programme is the latest boost to help first time buyers buy homes. It does this by an equity share scheme that builds up enough capital to create a 25% deposit for a first time buyer. The cost is met partly by the government (10%) , partly by the housebuilder (10%) and partly by the buyer (5%). In this way a first time buyer who can only afford a deposit of 5% of the purchase price of a house can satisfy the lender’s requirement for a 25% deposit. Commenting on this tFri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Buy-To-Let-Investors-WinA ‘perfect storm’ is sweeping the property market, putting homes out of the reach of first-time buyers and into the hands of buy-to-let investors. The tempting deals offered by banks have seen landlords cashing in and snapping up properties which would be ideal for first-time buyers. There was a 25 per cent increase in the number of mortgages (including remortgages) taken out by landlords between January and March this year, compared with the same period in 2010. Of this, there was a 15 per centFri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Rising-rents-are-helping-landlords The glut of potential buyers unable to get on the housing ladder is causing a boom for landlords. Average rents hit a record high in June, surging beyond the £700 per month barrier for the first time ever, according to lettings agency group LSL Property Services. Landlords in London are getting an average of £1,006 per month from tenants. David Newnes, estate agency managing director of LSL, says: ‘Tenant demand continues to reach ever higher peaks — and there simply isn’t enough reFri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Large-deposits-the-barrier-to-entry While rising rents are great for landlords, it makes it even harder for first-time buyers to save enough for a deposit. Youngsters need at least a 10 per cent deposit to get a mortgage, or 25 per cent to benefit from cheap deals. And while property prices have fallen, they are still relatively high. A typical first-time buyer has a deposit of around £25,000 — 20 per cent of their property’s value, according to the CML. This would take seven years to save if you put away a massive £300Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Mortgage-NewsRates are also high. Those with a 25 per cent deposit can fix for two years with Yorkshire BS at 2.99 per cent. The best fix for a 10 per cent deposit is 4.39 per cent with Chelsea BS. Monthly repayments on a £150,000 mortgage would be £711 and £824 respectively. So dire is the situation that housing minister Grant Schapps has stepped in, offering government ‘equity loans’ and urging banks to offer ‘mates mortgages’, where groups of friends can club together to buy.  But whiFri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Government-Reform-for-House-Price-Surveys The highly anticipated review of the Government's official house price survey still has 'No Timescale'.This is in spite of a recommendation by the National Statistician's Office last December that there should only be one definitive national house price survey. This was labeled 'The National Statistician's Review of House Price Statistics', which was only the first stage in the process of change.It was conceded that: "The review concludes that neither of the current official house price measureSat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-Mortgage-DealAn enterprising new strategy has emerged designed to revolutionise the mortgage market by financing house buyers.The at both first time buyers and current homeowners, it would provide them with a 20% deposit in return for a 40% share of any profits from an eventual sale. It is proposed the scheme would also share any losses if house prices fell.Behind the venture, Castle Trust, is Sir Callum McCarthy, a former chairman of the Financial Services Authority, and US private equity firm JC Flowers.JCSat, 09 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/New-EPC-Regulations-DelayedThe Governments planned changes to EPC rules which were due on July 1st have been adandoned, at least for the time being anyway. A senior official at Communities and Local Government earlier this week declared that they had run out of time. It is understood that the Regulatory Policy Committe, appointed to scrutinise new regulations, has failed to give clearance. This resulting delay means that all the EPC changes are now likely to be introduced on October 1st. This is providing that the requireFri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Housetrade-Launches-in-Morecambe Housetrade has officially launched in Morecambe, one of the initial regional satellite locations targeted. There are an increasing number of properties available through Housetrade in the area. The strategy being to concentrate on building up a strong base of properties in regional areas for buyers to choose from. During the initial promotion we are offering the opportunity for you to list and sell your property for FREE through the Housetrade.co.uk website. So if you have a property for sale wThu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/Housetrade-LaunchWelcome to Housetrade.co.uk, The long anticipated arrival of Housetrade.co.uk is now upon us. For a limited time only we are currently offering the opportunity to advertise your property for sale for FREE! Housetrade is predominantly a private (for sale by owner) property portal enabling you to sell your property by yourself. Sellers can save thousands of pounds in estate agents' fees where as Buyers can save by negotiating directly with the Seller. Thinking that selling yourMon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/FREE-Property-AdvertisingFor a limited time only Housetrade are offering you the opportunity to advertise for FREE on the website. All you need to do is register and then you are free to submit your property details to be advertised for sale. We have a number of guides for using the website, and FAQ section and a property wizard to guide you through the process. Later in the year we will be adding video tutorials to further assist you. You may also contact us by emailing info@housetrade.co.uk with any further questions&Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.housetrade.co.uk/news-article/There-Is-Another-WayThe long anticipated launch of Housetrade.co.uk is upon us. We are proud to present an advertising platform that enables private property adverts targeting specific areas of the UK. With the housing market still facing a lot of uncertainty the need has arisen for another way of boosting the property market for buyers and sellers.   Remember - There is another way...  Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT